Leg bandage



D. LANGMAN April 18, 1961 LEG BANDAGE Filed Jan. 30, 1959 im g 2A 30 3! 2726 so DAVID LANGMAN INVENTOR.

LEG BANDAGE David Langman, 4929 NE. Alberta St., Portland 18,.0reg.

Filed Jan. 30, 19 59, Ser. No. 790,237

2 Claims. (Cl. 128-165) This invention relates generally to surgical applianc'es and more particularly to an elasticsurgical bandage to be worn on the leg or arm of a human body to alleviate by uniform centripetal pressure certain pathological conditions such as arthritis, rheumatism, varicose" veins, phlebitis, or swollen or weakened limbs.

It is one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a surgical bandage of the character described made in cylindrical form of continuous all around elastic porous material for completely encircling and applying desired uniform centripetal pressure to leg or arm portions of the wearer and at the same time yieldable to movements of the part or parts of the limb to which it is applied. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide stiffening and reinforcing means lengthwise of the bandage to prevent the bandage from wrinkling or rolling upwardly when in use.

Another object is the provision of means cooperating with the stiffening means for increasing the centripetal pressure when desired, or for reconditioning the bandage to its original cylindrical diameter in the event of stretching due to long usage or deterioration of the bandage material.

A further object is the provision of a device capable of producing pressure variations of relatively great magnitude for use in aggravated pathological conditions.

A still further object is the provision of a device of this nature, so designed and constructed that'it may be easily and quickly put on or taken off by the wearer without assistance from any other person and quickly cleaned when necessary, without damage to any of its parts.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a leg bandage made in accordance with this invention and shown suspended from a belt adapted to be worn about'the waistline of a wearer.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view on an enlarged scale of the leg bandage removed from the belt and with fragments broken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view on an enlarged scale of Figure 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views of modifications of the invention.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating a further modification of the invention.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary top plan view on an enlarged scale of Figure 6 with the lacing shown in broken lines.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawing wherein like references of character designate like parts and particularly Figure 1, reference numeral 1 indicates generally the main body of the leg bandage made in accordance with my invention and which is of slightly downwardly, tapering, cylindrical form made of woven elastic material and provided at its top end with spaced 1 red States Patent lice Patented Apr. 18,1961

apart fastening elements 2 and 3 for attachment to coopcrating fastening elements 4 and 5 secured to the bottom ends of a pair of hose supporters 6 and 7 whose top ends are secured as by stitching 8 and 9, or the like, to an adjustable belt 10 to be worn about the waistline of the user of the leg bandage.

, Although the device as shown in Figure 1 is in position to be worn about the leg of the wearer above the knee, it will be readily understood that the bandage may be worn below the knee by merely extending the length of the hose supporters 6 and 7, or when removed from the hose supporters, can be worn about the arm of a wearer. To the front of the cylindrical body 1 (see also Fig. 3) on its outer surface, stays 11 are attached in the following manner: Two identical spaced apart elongated pieces of webbing 12 are folded over on themselves lengthwise as at 13 and secured along their opposite edge by stitching 14 to the body of the bandage. A row of eyelets 15 extend through and are secured to the folded webbing in spaced relation to the edge 13 thereof to provide pockets 16 for the stays 11. The pockets are closed at their bot:

tom ends by stitching 17 and open at their top ends to In the modification shown in Figure 5 the webbing and hence the lacing may be dispensed with in favor of a single adjustable belt 23 secured to the top end of the bandage body 1A.

In the further modification shown in Figures 6 and 7, parallel pieces of webbing 25 are secured to the body 13 of the bandage by stitching 26 along both of their vertical edges and across the top and bottom as at 27 and 28, although the top stitching may be dispensed with if desired.

Two parallel rows of eyelets 30 and 31 extend through and are secured to the webbing and the body 1B of the bandage to thus provide between the rows in each webbing a pocket 32 for stays 33. Lacing 34 is threaded through the eyelets as shown and may be drawn as tightly as desired by the wearer and tied in a knot 35 either at the bottom as shown or at the top if desired. As in the first form of the invention the leg bandage 113 may be attached to the hose supporters 6 and 7 by the fastening elements 2A and 3A or worn detached therefrom.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that a leg bandage has been provided which can be efiectively worn above or below the knee, either suspended from a belt or detached therefrom or about arm portions when detached from the belt, and one which however worn can be diametrically contracted to increase the centripetal forces applied or to recondition the cylindrical main body portion to its original diameter and wherein the pull of the lacing to effect such contraction and tensioning of the bandage material in an encircling direction is evenly distributed throughout the length of the stays 11 or 33, their respective webbing 12 and 25 and the underlying vertical portions of the leg bandage 1 or 13. It will also be apparent that regardless of additional tension applied to the bandage material in an encircling direction the material between the spaced apart webbing will remain in surface contact with the corresponding adjacent portion of the arm or leg of the wearer and thus obviate crowding or pinching of the flesh.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 1, the lacing 20 in its entirety is on the outside of the main body 1 'while in Figure 6 the lacing 34 extends from the front of the webbing 25, through the eyelets 31 back of the front g "assent wall of the main body 13, forwardly out through the eye- I lets 30 and externally across to and through and back of the opposite eyelets and webbing.

While I haveshown particular forms of embodiment of my invention I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the inven-, tion. Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A surgical bandage adapted circumferentially to encircle the upper or lower leg or arm portions of a wearer, and supporting means for the bandage, said supporting means comprising an adjustable .belt adapted to be worn about the waistline of a wearer and hose supporters secured to and depending from the belt, said bandage being of cylindrical form made of woven elastic material and provided with fastening elements adapted for attachment to said hose supporters, two elongated pieces of webbing material secured in mutually spaced relation to said band age, each folded over on itself along a longitudinal fold line along one side and secured as by stitching'along its opposite side to the outer wall of the bandage, a row of eyelets extending through the webbing substantially-along and supporting means for the bandage, said supporting means comprising an adjustable belt adapted to be word about the waistline of a wearer and hose supporters secured to and depending from the belt, said bandage being of cylindrical form made of woven elastic material and provided with fastening elements adapted for attachment to said hose supporters, two elongated pieces of webbing material secured in mutually spaced relation to said bandage, each secured along both of its longitudinal edges and at least across its bottom edge to the external wall of the bandage, two spaced apart parallel rows of eyelets extending through each piece of webbing material and through the wall of the bandage whereby to provide a longitudinal pocket between said rows of eyelets in each piece of webbing material, a stay disposed within each of said pockets, and lacing threaded through said eyelets for varying the spacing between the pieces of webbing material and thereby increasing the centripetal forces of the bandage and whereby the pull of the lacing will be disthe longitudinal center thereof to thereby provide a pocket 4 material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 616,524 Cartledge Dec. 27, 1898 912,624 Schopbach Feb. 16, 1909 1,258,052 Stall Mar. 5, 1918 1,287,870 Burk Dec. 17, 1918 1,601,659 Van Harlingen Sept. 28, 1926' 2,155,485 Graves Apr. 25, 1939 2,166,227 Versoy July 18, 1939 Bollinger Apr. 14, 1942 

